Month: July 2014

Current OSHA regulations require that an emergency eyewash stations be provided whenever employees may come into contact with chemicals that can cause corrosion, severe irritation, or permanent tissue damage. Conditions such as battery charging in shop, usage of corrosive chemicals or irritants in detail or shop require the installation of an eye wash station and a deluge shower depending upon the chemicals used in the shop area.

Many dealers think that having a safety inspection and correction of hazards constitute an effective safety program, or better still, compliance with OSHA regulations is an effective means to gauge safety. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Over my 25 years of experience with dealers in the safety arena, I have found these six to be the most effective means to reduce injuries at the workplace and effectively reduce premiums.

Background: Existing law requires an employer to provide eye wash stations that comply with ANSI standards. Eye wash stations must be within 10 seconds walking distance and not over 100 feet from the potential point of hazard. Most dealers have provided an eye wash in the service department within those stipulations.

Background: Cal/OSHA released the 2014 Heat Illness Prevention Campaign on March 25, 2014. Workers who are exposed to extreme heat or who work in hot environments are at a risk of heat stress that can result in occupational illnesses and injuries. Heat stress can result in heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or heat rashes. Heat can also increase the risk of other physical injuries in workers as it may result in sweaty palms, fogged-up safety glasses, and dizziness.

The maintenance and operation of gasoline tanks, both aboveground and underground, has become expensive, highly regulated, and burdensome. Automobile dealers have resorted to gas dolly equipment where a small amount of gasoline can be added to each new automobile delivered to the dealership. We note that automobiles delivered to dealerships from manufacturers have very small amounts of gasoline; this being a result of U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, which dictate that minimal amounts of gasoline be retained in gas tanks of vehicles in transport. We write this memo to discuss DOT, OSHA, and CARB regulations applicable to gasoline being transported from a public gasoline station to dealerships for a later fill in automobiles on the lot.

California Air Resources Board (CARB), a division of Cal-EPA, is the regulatory body that controls emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere in the state of California. Deadlines for compliance are as follows: http://www.arb.ca.gov/vapor/cp-206.pdf.

The Federal Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) is responsible for enacting and enforcing safety laws in the US. In certain states such as California, Cal-OSHA, a state agency, enforces laws that are as stringent as Federal OSHA laws. The top 10 citations issued to the general industry by Federal-OSHA in 2013 are discussed below. Top 10 citations for the auto industry may be different than those listed below.